Describe the use of data, or how the data enhanced the campaign output

For our 'Helptorials' to be as helpful as possible, they had to be tailored to our target group’s interests.
The researched data determined the content created:
We identified users demographically most likely to donate: 25+, academic degree & urban, segmented these into affinities like new parents etc. and researched topics these specific users search for most.
Resulting data was crossed with field research results: face-to-face interviews determined areas Ethiopians could give advice on. This yielded 6 Helptorial-topics (cooking, family, DIY, sports, life advice, beauty).
Contextual interest-based targeting ensured highest relevance on all platforms: on Facebook and Instagram we used user data (interests & life events). On YouTube we hijacked adwords: e.g. if you search for 'gluten free bread', Dessie shows you how to bake it in a pre-roll of a related tutorial.
This enhanced the campaign output as relevance resulted in positive user-brand-interaction: higher view-rates and greater willingness to donate.

Why is this work relevant for Media?

'Help for Help' is relevant for Media because key to the success of the idea was that the content was placed where users looked for answers - which we achieved with a thought-through media channel strategy involving all platforms where users look for help online: YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Background

The small German charity organization Menschen für Menschen, founded by German actor Karlheinz Böhm, focuses on development aid in rural Ethiopia. In the past, the organization was mainly known for its famous founder. Today, three years after his passing, the organization is increasingly falling into oblivion - especially with the younger target group.
Therefore, we had to raise awareness for the charity independent from its founder - with a limited media and production budget. And what would be a better place to reach the younger target group than where they spend most of their time: online.
Additionally, we had to make known that Menschen für Menschen isn’t just any charity organization, but distinguishes itself by communication on eye-level, as their name Menschen fuer Menschen (German for 'humans for humans') suggests.
The secondary campaign objective was to increase online donations.

Describe the creative idea/insights

Menschen für Menschen believe, as their name ‘humans for humans’ already suggests, that as equals we should all help each other more.
To find and give help has never been easier - thanks to the internet.
MfM uses this to turn the tables with a charity campaign that instead of just asking for help, offers it: Ethiopians in need help us with the everyday problems we search for on Youtube & Social Media.
We identified users demographically most likely to donate: 25+, academic degree & urban. Then segmented these into affinities e.g. new parents etc.
And researched topics these users search for the most. The results were crossed with topics Ethiopians could give advice on. The resulting topics: cooking, family, DIY, sports, life advice and beauty.
In these categories in 30 'Helptorials' Ethiopians give personal advice & tips. At the end of each Helptorial viewers can help Ethiopians by donating.

Describe the strategy

In order to show we should all help each other, we decided to do just that - by offering help to potential donors where they seek it most: online. Which was also the best place to reach a younger audience.
For 'Helptorials' to be helpful, they had to answer the right questions. So we tailored them to our TA using their data:
We identified users demographically most likely to donate: 25+, academic degree & urban, segmented these into different affinities and researched topics they search for most. Then crossed resulting data with areas Ethiopians could give advice on.
Interest-based targeting ensured highest user-content-relevance:
On YouTube we used adwords to hijack regular tutorials: if you search for 'glutenfree bread', Dessie shows you how to bake it in a pre-roll to the regular tutorial.
On Facebook and Instagram we used user-interests. So if you like fitness pages, you see a marathon Helptorial.

Describe the execution

Our research yielded the following topics Germans searched online and Ethiopians could give advice on: Cooking, family, DIY, sports, life advice, beauty. Conversations with Ethiopians resulted in 30 specific Helptorial-videos (between 30s-1.35 mins) that show Ethiopians – from shoeshiner Jonas to judge Abba Gadda - talking to the camera, giving viewers advice on specific problems in these categories.
16/03/2018 they went live where users looked for help: YouTube (regular & pre-rolls), Facebook (sponsored & regular) and Instagram-Stories.
We identified search, browsing behavior & device usage in order to assign the right media format and platform to each Helptorial.
Contextual iterest-based targeting ensured users only saw Helptorials that answered the questions they may have to make sure each Helptorial could be as helpful as possible.

List the results

In the campaign period we achieved the following:
Business impact and achievement against the business target of reach (especially with the younger target group) & site traffic:
-Donation-Site traffic increased by 1566%
-Facebook Page Visits increased by 664%
-Facebook Content Likes increased by 319%
-Facebook Page Likes increased by 304%
Reach:
-864.000 FB impressions
-595.000 total views which is an average view-increase on their YouTube channel of 1075% when compared to previous digital campaign, making Help for Help the client’s most successful online campaign.
-Our best performing videos (true view ads) were watched by 54% until the end.